


every day with someone new

by stray_dog_sick



Category: Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Band, Anxiety, Developing Relationship, Group chat, Multi, Past Child Abuse, Polyamory, Recreational Drug Use, Relationship Negotiation, Taco Bell, well it's half group chat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-09-08 15:38:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8850571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stray_dog_sick/pseuds/stray_dog_sick
Summary: Like all good romances, it starts at a club.(Or the story of how two became ten)





	

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Someone New by Hozier
> 
> Find me on tumblr at good-people-now

Like all good romances, it starts at a club.

Pete is drinking with his friend Joe, bass thumping in the background. They’ve been there a while - Joe is drunk enough to start whining about his ‘unrequited crush’ on Andy.

“He’s just so, you know? Tattoos. Arms. Oh man, drummer’s arms. Think of his arms, Pete, think of his- yo, is that Bookstore Patrick?”

The break in Joe’s monologue shocks Pete enough that he turns around to find Bookstore Patrick. His eyes land on a short man (like, shorter than Pete, which isn’t easy), wearing glasses, a cardigan, and a fedora. It should look ridiculous, but the guy is cute and somehow manages to pull it off.

Patrick must feel their eyes on him because he turns around and walks over. “Hey, Joe, right?” he asks, smiling. The question isn’t required; anyone who’s met Joe can recognise him by his hair. “I don’t know you, though.”

It takes Pete a second to process that the shorter man is talking to him. “I’m Pete,” he blurts out ( _nice one, Wentz_ ), “and I guess you’re Bookstore Patrick?”

Patrick laughs at the nickname. Pete can’t look away from the grin and the way his eyes crinkle and the sound, wow, his laugh sounds as perfect as his voice. Captivating.

They keep talking, and it’s like they’ve been friends their entire lives. They don’t even notice when Joe’s complaints about Andy start again.

Pete doesn’t go home alone that night.

\---

[Private Conversation]

[21:45] Patrick - last night was great, we should do it again some time :)

[21:46] Pete - totally! let me know when ur free!

[21:47] Patrick - will do, see you soon hopefully

\---

Pete and Patrick’s first date is a moonlit picnic by the lake. Pete thinks it’s a bit cliche, but Patrick is enjoying it, and he just wants the younger man to be happy.

They talk while eating sandwiches that are slightly soggy. Pete learns that Patrick plays the drums, that he has two older siblings, and that his last name is actually spelt with an ‘h,’ but he leaves it out so that people don’t mispronounce it. In return, Pete reveals that he played soccer in high school, that he manages a Subway, and that he wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Joe Biden ( _no, Patrick, I’m not making that up, my parents literally met while campaigning for Joe Biden_ ) _._

They finish their picnic and watch the stars. It feels like they’re there for hours before the silence is interrupted.

“I really love the moon. Wow. Look at her.”

A stranger sits down next to Pete. He has curly hair and a scarf that seems to be for fashion more than warmth, and he smells of weed. The moonlight reflects off the man’s dark eyes, and his mouth hangs open slightly in awe.

“Hey, buddy,” Pete murmurs, so he doesn’t startle the other man. “Are you okay?”

The stranger blinks slowly before glancing down at Pete. “I’m not sure where I am,” he replies, looking slightly confused.

The confession causes Patrick to sit up, drawing the stranger’s eyes to him. “It’s alright, we know the area. We’ll get you home.”

It takes a few minutes, but eventually they manage to get a name and address for the man. It turns out Ryan doesn’t live far from Pete, so he drives him home. Ryan falls asleep in the car, only waking when Patrick shakes him, and the two shorter men barely manage to support Ryan’s weight as they carefully stumble up the steps to his apartment.

Pete’s annoyed that the date got cut short, but he does leave with Ryan’s number, so maybe it wasn’t that bad in the end.

\---

[Private Conversation]

[22:31] Ryan - thnx 4 helping me home last nite

[22:32] Pete - no probs glad ur safe

[22:35] Ryan - wanna come over

[22:36] Ryan - i got more weed

[22:40] Pete - sure

\---

Patrick left earlier in the day to go to work, so Pete walks over to Ryan’s. The taller man does indeed have some weed and already has a joint lit when Pete arrives.

They pass the joint back and forth for awhile, enjoying the silence that’s broken only by Ryan’s sudden fits of giggles. It’s comfortable, leaning against each other and staring at the blank wall opposite Ryan’s couch. Pete’s kind of glad that they both get euphoric when they’re high - Joe can be very philosophical when stoned and tends to get annoyed when Pete just laughs at everything he says.

The silence isn’t broken until they start to come down from their high. “Tell me a secret,” Ryan demands suddenly.

Pete turns to face the younger man, suddenly finding that their heads are very close together. All thoughts go out of the window, except the ones about how Ryan’s curls fall perfectly over his warm brown eyes. “You’re really cute,” he whispers.

Another set of lips are suddenly on his, and Pete kisses back for a few seconds before he remembers where he is. He pushes Ryan away, panicking slightly. “I have a boyfriend,” he gasps out.

“So do I,” Ryan replies. “He doesn’t mind.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Pete counters, raising an eyebrow.

“No, I’m serious!” Ryan exclaims. “It’s an open relationship. He’s okay with it as long as I’m honest.”

Something about that makes sense to Pete. Patrick’s an understanding guy, right? Pete’s pretty invested in their relationship, but he can’t deny that he’s attracted to Ryan too.

They kiss again.

\---

[Private Conversation]

[01:23] Ryan - dude im so sorry if i messed things up

[01:24] Pete - no its ok, gonna talk to patrick about it later but i think i have an idea

[01:24] Pete - u mentioned something about like open relationships?

[01:25] Ryan - yeah me and my bf are kinda like that i guess? its more complicated but open relationship sums it up alright

[01:26] Pete - yeah i might talk to patrick about that, idk about you but i enjoyed what happened last night

[01:27] Ryan - i liked it too let me know what he says

[01:28] Pete - will do, might be a few days because of work btw

[01:28] Ryan - thats cool ttyl

\---

“I kissed Ryan.”

Patrick slowly turns to look at his boyfriend. Date night was almost a week ago, and they both finally have a day off. “Care to elaborate?”

Pete swallows, looking at Patrick to judge his reaction. “I went to Ryan’s, and we got really high, and we kissed.”

For a second, neither of them move. Then Patrick seems to deflate, looking away from Pete. “So what does that mean, then?”

The question is vague, but Pete instantly understands. “I lo- like you, Patrick. A lot,” Pete mentally facepalms at the small slip, “but I like Ryan too. And I think, maybe… It could work. Being with both of you, I mean.”

Patrick’s eyebrows furrow in confusion, so Pete keeps talking. “Ry has a boyfriend too, but they’re in something like an open relationship, where they can see other people as long as they’re honest. And, well, I’m an honest guy, Patrick.”

Patrick looks sceptical, but he doesn’t protest against the idea. “I’ll think about it,” he mutters, before climbing into bed with Pete.

“Thank you,” Pete replies softly, smiling at his boyfriend. “Goodnight, ‘Trick.”

“Goodnight, Pete,” he responds, and then, so quietly that Pete thinks he must’ve dreamed it, “I love you too.”

\---

[Private Conversation]

[18:43] Patrick - i thought about it

[18:44] Pete - and??

[18:46] Patrick - and if it makes you happy then i’m fine with it

[18:47] Patrick - just don’t expect me to do anything with ryan

[18:48] Pete - i won’t omg thnx so much

[18:52] Pete - i love you

[18:53] Patrick - i love you too

\---

Pete brings Patrick over to Ryan’s the night after their text conversation. They’d agreed to all hang out together while they were figuring this out. Whatever _this_ was.

Ryan looks surprised when he opens the door - Pete told him that he was coming over, but hadn’t mentioned bringing Patrick. “Oh, hey guys.”

“He said yes,” Pete shrugs.

Ryan grins and kisses Pete on the cheek. “Well, come on in, then.”

The trio makes their way into Ryan’s small living room, and this time it’s Pete’s turn to be surprised. Ryan wasn’t home alone this time; there were two other men sat on his couch.

“Yo, you must be Pete!” a guy with a big forehead exclaims. “Ry told us you were coming over. Who’s the short guy?”

“Bren, don’t be rude,” the other man sighs, an apologetic look on his face.

Ryan just laughs. “That’s Pete’s boyfriend. His name’s Patrick. Be a good boy, Brendon.”

Big Forehead Guy - Brendon, apparently - pouts. “I’m always nice. Nicer than you. You haven’t even told them who I am, Ryan. Geez.”

Ryan blushes slightly, turning to Pete and Patrick. “Sorry guys. Mr I’m-Always-Nice is my boyfriend Brendon, and the tall one is _his_ partner, Dallon.”

“Great to meet you,” Patrick says, waving. Pete nods and repeats the statement.

They hang out until the early hours of the morning, and something clicks between them. Pete thinks Brendon is a bit over the top, but he’s easy to talk to, and Patrick quickly becomes friends with Dallon and Ryan.

It almost feels effortless, this strange relationship between the five of them. Nothing is forced - the others are perfectly fine with the fact that Patrick only wants to be with Pete, because Dallon is the same with Brendon, and Ryan doesn’t mind being the link between the two couples, dividing his attention easily.

Pete and Patrick eventually have to leave so they can get ready for work, but they make plans to meet up with the others again in a few days. As they leave, Pete thinks to himself: _this might just work._

\---

[Group Chat - why have love triangles when you could have threesomes]

[Ryan added Pete to the group chat]

[Pete added Patrick to the group chat]

[18:23] Ryan - last night was fun but omg i am so tired now

[18:23] Brendon - agreed, which is truly something amazing

[18:24] Pete - we enjoyed it too, you guys are alright

[18:24] Patrick - we’ll have to meet up again sometime soon

[18:25] Dallon - if you guys send us your work schedules we can figure something out

[18:26] Pete - okay

[18:26] Pete - also why is the group chat called that??

[18:26] Brendon - because its true.

\---

They meet Josh at Ryan’s Halloween party.

None of them actually know him directly - Brendon’s best friend Sarah is dating Jeremy, who hangs out with Hayley, who is good friends with Josh - but Brendon is instantly drawn to his bright pink hair and colourful tattoos.

Josh must’ve gotten hold of some of Ryan’s weed, because he practically falls onto Brendon, muttering about aliens and conspiracy theories. It seems to take him a minute to realise he’s not with his friends, but eventually, he looks up at Brendon. “You’re not Tyler,” he states in confusion, eyebrows drawing together.

Brendon laughs. “No, I’m not. I’m Bren. You’re Josh, right?”

The younger man nods. “Oh yeah, that’s me. I know you. You’re that guy.”

Pete feels kinda sorry for Josh - he’s really stoned, and his friends seem to have abandoned him. “How you doing, Josh?” he asks.

Josh jumps, almost falling off Brendon’s lap. “I’m good. I think. Where’s Tyler? He was gonna take me home.” His breathing gets heavier; it doesn’t take Pete long to figure out that he’s panicking.

Luckily, Brendon seems to know what he’s doing, rubbing Josh’s back in a soothing motion. “Hey, it’s okay. You can stay here tonight, we don’t mind. Right, Ryan?”

“Yeah, man, of course,” Ryan confirms. “It’s no trouble.”

Knowing he has somewhere to stay seems to calm Josh down a bit, and he leans heavily against Brendon, who seems surprised.

Eventually, the party starts to quieten down, with most people going home. Pete and Patrick decide to stay at Ryan’s too since they aren’t working the next day. A pile of blankets is moved onto the living room floor so that the six of them can sleep in the same room.

No one is shocked to see Brendon and Josh curled up together in the morning.

\---

[Group Chat - why have love triangles when you could have threesomes]

[Brendon added Josh to the group chat]

[20:17] Brendon - ok so turns out I really like josh nd now were kinda together

[20:17] Josh - hey guys.

[20:18] Josh - thanks for looking after me that night by the way. means a lot.

[20:19] Brendon - no probs x

[20:19] Patrick - did you find tyler?

[20:21] Josh - yeah. had a family emergency. tried to tell me before he left but guess i was too high to understand.

[20:22] Dallon - glad he didn’t abandon you

[20:23] Ryan - welcome to the Krew

[20:23] Pete - wait how did bren get 3 bfs is that even possible

[20:24] Josh - ?? no one mentioned to me that brendon wasn’t single.

[20:25] Brendon - oops i didn’t explain sorry i thought i did

[20:26] Dallon - brendon is dating ry and me. ry is also dating pete, who’s dating

patrick

[20:26] Dallon - and I guess bren’s dating you now too

[20:27] Josh - but everyone isn’t with everyone?

[20:27] Josh - that didn’t make sense.

[20:27] Josh - like, dallon isn’t dating pete, stuff like that.

[20:28] Patrick - yeah, pretty much. it gets less confusing, trust me.

[20:29] Josh - is now a good time to mention that i also might be dating tyler?

[20:30] Pete - nd then there were 7

[20:30] Ryan - thats chill

[20:30] Brendon - honesty is the best policy

\---

Pete is about to finish his shift at Subway when Ryan and Josh walk in.

“Hey guys, what can I get you?” he asks, resting his elbows on the counter.

“Oh, we’re not hungry. Patrick told us you finish soon, so we came to take you out.” Ryan replies, reaching over to link his fingers with Pete’s.

Pete spots the door open again. “Sounds fun, I’ll be done in a moment.”

Josh drags Ryan out of the queue that’s beginning to form behind them. Pete fills their orders quickly before walking around the counter to stand with the other two.

“Alright, I’ve just gotta tell my boss I’m going and then I’m all yours!” Pete grins, leaning in to kiss Ry on the cheek.

Five minutes later the three of them are leaving Subway, with Josh leading the way down the street.

“What inspired this random outing then?” Pete asks curiously. As far as he knew, Ryan and Josh only met at the Halloween party.

“I wanted to go to the music store, so I put a message in the chat,” Josh replies. “Patrick said you wanted to go at some point and that you were about to finish work soon, and Ryan was free too, so here we are.

Patrick was right - Pete had his eye on one of the bass guitars that he knew the store sold and had finally saved up the money for it.

“What do you play?” Ryan asks Josh. “I play guitar and sing, and I know Pete is a bassist, but I didn’t know you were a musician.”

“I play the drums,” Josh answers. “But I get really into it, and I’ve broken all my sticks. Oops.”

Josh gestures wildly as he speaks, causing Ryan to flinch when a hand flies too close to his face, but he manages to play it off with a smile. “Yeah, Brendon can drum too, he gets through a lot of drumsticks.”

Pete hums in agreement. “Patrick drums and even he manages to break a couple. But yeah, I play the bass, and I finally have enough money for a really nice one I saw.”

“Oh, Dallon plays bass too!” Ryan adds suddenly. “Weird how we’re all musicians, right?”

Josh chuckles. “It is kinda strange. Even Tyler is a musician. Piano, ukulele, and vocals. He doesn’t look like it, but he’s an amazing rapper too.”

The trio finally arrives at the music store and split up when they’re inside so that they can find what they’re looking for. Pete buys the bass he wanted and then messes around with it while Josh buys some drumsticks and Ryan searches through the stands of guitar picks.

“We should all get together and jam one day,” Josh suggests suddenly. “Although three drummers might make things a bit loud.”

“Not a problem,” Ryan responds. “Brendon can play everything, I swear. Guitar, bass, drums, piano… He’s amazing.”

The three of them leave the store with their purchases and head their separate ways back home, promising to set a date when they’re all free for a good jam session.

Pete slings his guitar case over his shoulder with a smile on his face. If there’s one thing he knows, it’s that music can bring people together if nothing else can.

\---

[Group Chat - why have love triangles when you could have threesomes]

[19:45] Patrick - anyone up for taco bell?

[19:45] Josh - taco bell is my life.

[19:46] Brendon - that was fast wow normally im the only one who responds that fast

[19:46] Brendon - anyway me and dal are up for tb

[19:48] Ryan - yh sounds good i just finished work

[19:49] Patrick - got the whole gang then

[19:49] Patrick - josh, you should bring tyler

[19:50] Ryan - its a Krew patrick get it right smh

[19:50] Josh - tyler’s probably already at taco bell

[19:51] Josh - fairly certain he actually lives there

[19:52] Patrick - see you all at 8:15 then

\---

Josh was right - Tyler was already at Taco Bell.

Josh lead the group over to his table. Tyler only looked up when Josh sat in his lap - ‘ _there were only six seats, and Tyler was done eating, okay?’ -_ and glanced in confusion at the big group around him.

“Told them you would already be here,” Josh grinned, kissing Tyler on the cheek.

“And who, exactly, is _them_ , Joshua?” Tyler asks, raising an eyebrow.

Brendon giggles at that. “Ha, Joshua,” he laughs under his breath until Dallon elbows him in the ribs.

Josh rolls his eyes. “These are the guys I was telling you about last night, remember? The idiot laughing at my name is Bren.”

Tyler smiles at that, looking up at Brendon. “So you’re my competition, huh?” he jokes. “Nice to meet you. I’m Ty.” The young man turns back to Josh. “Are you going to introduce the rest of them, or not?”

Josh blushes slightly, rubbing the back of his head. “Um, the tall one is Dallon, the one in the scarf is Ryan, the short one that’s ordering is Patrick, and the other guy is Pete.”

Patrick returns with the food, and the table is silent for a minute while they eat before the conversation starts up again. They talk about anything and everything - music, sports, their families, their hopes, and their dreams.

Pete decides quickly that he likes Tyler. The young adult is witty, intelligent and excellent with words, although it’s clear he’s got some issues. That’s okay, though; nobody's perfect. Tyler and Josh are made for each other, and Pete thinks that Ty will fit in perfectly.

They eventually leave Taco Bell at around 10 pm, exchanging kisses with their partners. Pete and Patrick walk to their car holding hands, and their eyes meet for a second. Pete smiles and reaches for his phone, sending a quick message to the group chat that they’d added Tyler to earlier that night.

[22:02] Pete - i love you guys

\---

[Group Chat - why have love triangles when you could have threesomes]

[Tyler changed Josh’s nickname to Joshua]

[23:46] Joshua - dude i said i was sorry.

[23:46] Tyler - sorry doesn’t bring back my taco bell leftovers joshua.

[23:47] Brendon - wow joshua how could you??? D:

[23:48] Pete - i guess you have an excuse to buy more tb now tho?

[23:49] Tyler - i’m out of taco bell money peter.

[23:50] Patrick - haaa

[Patrick changed Pete’s nickname to Peter]

[23:51] Brendon - wait i can do better than that

[23:51] Ryan - DONT YOU DARE

[Brendon changed Ryan’s nickname to George]

[23:52] George - im breaking up with you

[23:56] Dallon - wow why am i the only adult here

[Dallon changed George’s nickname to Ryan]

[Dallon changed Peter’s nickname to Pete]

[Dallon changed Joshua’s nickname to Josh]

[23:58] Brendon - why??

[23:58] Brendon - dallon dont ever do that again

\---

Pete doesn’t really remember how he met Mikey. He just wakes up one night - well, at 3 am, which is technically _morning_ but who’s counting? - with two blond men in his bed instead of one.

He knows it isn’t one of the other guys because Patrick is the only one in the relationship with light hair, so he shakes the stranger awake.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m getting there,” the man groans, squinting up at Pete. His eyes suddenly open wide. “Wait, who are you?”

Great - no one has any idea what’s going on.

Pete sighs, leaning over to wake Patrick up as well. “I’m Pete. I was hoping you’d be able to tell me why you’re here, but I guess not.”

“I’m Mikey,” the man replies. “I’m not sure how I got here, but it _feels_ like I got laid at some point-”

Patrick chooses that moment to wake up. “Pete, there better be a good reason why I’m awake at 3 in the morning. And why there’s someone that isn’t Ryan in our bed. Dude. What did you do? Sure wasn’t me.”

Mikey immediately pales. Pete can practically hear what he’s thinking: _oh my gosh, I’ve slept with someone that’s already in a relationship, this is not okay._

“Dude, stop freaking out,” Pete says quickly. “It’s cool. We can work with this.”

Mikey looks sceptical as he finally sits up. “You’re surprisingly chill for a couple of guys who don’t know why there’s a stranger in their bed.”

“I’m a surprisingly calm person,” Patrick yawns, “and Pete is now tied with Brendon for the highest number of partners. Good job, babe.”

“We’ve got this whole poly relationship thing going on,” Pete explains in response to Mikey’s raised eyebrow. “And I’m not tied unless he sticks around, Patrick, shut up.”

“And how many people are you dating?” Mikey asks slowly.

 _Poor guy,_ Pete thinks. _It’s far too early for this conversation._

“Personally, I’m dating two, but there are seven guys in the relationship. Room for one more, if you’re interested.”

Mikey still looks a bit lost. “Shouldn’t you talk to everyone else involved before asking me out?” he questions.

Pete shrugs. “I’m not going to message them now, they’re asleep. But they’re all nice guys, and I guess we all accepted Tyler before we’d met him, right Trick?”

Patrick nods in agreement. “Yeah, man. Everyone is super friendly. Well, most of the time. But Dallon will sort Bren out if he complains.”

“And if I say yes,” Mikey says hesitantly, “no one’s gonna force me into anything, right?”

Pete almost laughs at that. “No way. If anyone even tries, I’ll punch them. Patrick, for example, is only involved with me, so they’ll understand if you’re only comfortable being with me too.”

Finally, Mikey smiles. “That- that actually sounds really nice. I could do with friends that aren’t my older brother. So I guess you are tied with Brendon.”

\---

[Group Chat - why have love triangles when you could have threesomes]

[Pete added Mikey to the group chat]

[03:14] Pete - sorry guys he’s all mine

[03:14] Mikey - hey guys

[03:14] Brendon - aw now its a tie

[03:15] Brendon - boys are asleep but will tell them in the morning

[03:16] Brendon - everyones at my place ur missing out :(

[03:16] Pete - thnx bren

[03:17] Patrick - can we go back to sleep now?

\---

It takes Pete a minute to figure out why he recognises the club he’s in. Mikey’s idea for a first date was ‘somewhere special,’ and Pete let himself drive on autopilot, straight to the club where he met Patrick.

Somewhere special. Pete could’ve picked the spot by the lake or even Taco Bell, but he brought Mikey to a club for their first date. How classy.

“So, this is where I met Patrick, and I’m not sure how we ended up here, but you said somewhere special,” Pete explains quickly as he leads a confused looking Mikey to the bar.

“Not what I was expecting, but hey, at least we’ll have fun,” Mikey replies, motioning for the bartender.

“That we will,” Pete laughs, taking a quick look around the place.

It’s quiet, seeing as it’s a Tuesday night. Only a few other people at the bar - a group of ladies on a hen night, and another man around their age covered in tattoos.

They receive their drinks quickly and make light conversation as they sip, neither of them planning on getting drunk. They’re halfway through their second pint of beer when Pete notices that Mikey’s attention is elsewhere.

He turns slowly, following Mikey’s gaze, and sees the tattooed man from earlier glancing in their direction. He quickly averts his gaze, blushing slightly.

Pete looks back at Mikey, who is also now blushing, embarrassed at being caught staring at someone else while on a date. “Sorry, I just… I have a thing for tattoos,” Mikey whispers.

Pete leans in close, lips against Mikey’s ear. “Nothing is stopping you from saying hi,” he whispers back, hearing the blond man’s breath hitch.

Mikey nods slightly, getting up from his barstool and walking towards the other man. He isn’t rejected, which Pete takes as a good sign.

Pete can hear snippets of their conversation - ‘hi, I’m Frank,’ and ‘that’s my boyfriend, but he’s cool with this,’ and ‘would you like another drink?’

Pete finishes his beer before looking at the other two, who are sitting very near to each other considering they only just met. Mikey is facing him, and he mouths ‘ _have fun,’_ before turning to leave.

His phone buzzes as he reaches the exit.

[21:08] Mikey - thank you

Pete smiles and opens the door.

\---

[Group chat - why have love triangles when you could have threesomes]

[18:24] Mikey - anyone wanna come round mine later tonight

[18:24] Mikey - watch some movies or something

[18:25] Mikey - take ur time folks

[18:25] Brendon - i am a sucker for team bonding

[18:26] Dallon - did you almost write bondage not bonding?

[18:27] Brendon - yes

[18:27] Ryan - the 3 of us will be there

[18:28] Josh - yea ty nd i are free tonite

[18:29] Patrick - so are me and pete. full house then.

[18:30] Pete - will ur new friend be there ;)

[Mikey added Frank to the group chat]

[18:31] Mikey - yea he will ;)

[18:32] Brendon - i can’t believe having a threesome with some tall bloke to strengthen my crumbling relationship with my hipster boyfriend turned into whatever this is

[18:33] Ryan - neither can i

[18:33] Dallon - me neither

\---

Film night at Mikey’s turns out to be successful in more ways than one.

 _Ha,_ Pete will think to himself as he reflects back on this night. _More Ways than one._

The nine men somehow manage to cram into Mikey’s small living room. Between, they’d brought enough pizza and fizzy drink to last the whole night, and Mikey was putting the first _Harry Potter_ film into the DVD player as the others got comfortable.

Pete ended up sat on the arm of the sofa, leaning against Mikey and with Patrick at his friend, so his higher vantage point meant he was the first to spot the stranger that walked up from the basement about halfway through the second film.

A guy with greasy black hair walks across the back of the room to the kitchen, and Pete nudges Mikey. “Thought you lived alone?” he asks, gesturing towards the other room.

Mikey cranes his neck around to look into the kitchen. “Oh, that’s my brother. Usually, he doesn’t leave his lair.” Mikey remarks. Mikey turns back to the TV, so Pete does too.

Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Frank glancing towards the kitchen every few seconds until Gerard finally heads back downstairs.

Everyone - well, mostly Brendon - starts to get bored about halfway through the fourth film, so they decide to turn it off and just talk instead.

“Yo, we should all get, like, really drunk,” Brendon suggests from where he’s laid on the floor. There’s a moment of silence while the others think through their work schedules to make sure they aren’t on early starts the next day, but eventually, everybody agrees.

Mikey stands up from the sofa. “All the alcohol’s downstairs, I’ll be back in a moment.”

Dallon starts making small talk, and five minutes later, Mikey is back with six-packs of beer - not enough to get drunk, but they should make it to tipsy - and his older brother. “I wasn’t allowed to take Gerard’s stash unless he got to drink it with us, does anyone mind?”

 _I bet Frank doesn’t mind,_ Pete thinks to himself, as everyone else waves at the newcomer.

It’s Tyler, surprisingly, who suggests the game after he finishes his first beer. “We should play Spin the Bottle or something,” he proposes, eyeing up the growing pile of empty bottles.

No one objects to the idea, not even Gerard. Pete nudges Patrick with his foot to be sure his boyfriend is genuinely alright with it, causing the shorter man to look up and roll his eyes. “Just because I’m only dating you, doesn't mean I’m against kissing our other seven boyfriends, Pete.”

There’s a moment of awkwardness as everyone shuffles into some kind of circle. Pete finds himself between the two blond men, with Gerard sat on Mikey’s other side so he can hear when the older man leans over to whisper to his brother. “I knew you’d finally made some friends, Mikes, but I didn’t think you were _dating_ all eight of them.”

Mikey giggles slightly. “It’s complicated, Gee,” he whispers back. “Technically I’m only dating Pete and Frank. But, you know, Pete has other boyfriends, who have other boyfriends, and yeah. Eight.”

Tyler clears his throat to stop the conversation between the brothers. “I guess you know how this works, but I’m going to explain the rules anyway. We go around the circle, and each player spins the bottle. They have to kiss whoever it lands on for five seconds, on the lips of course. I guess I’ll start!”

Tyler leans forwards to spin the empty beer bottle, and they all watch as it goes round and round, eventually landing on Mikey.

“Aw, the host gets the first kiss!” Ryan jokes as Tyler shuffles across the circle until he’s in front of Mikey.

The blond grabs the back of Tyler’s neck and pulls him in. It’s a pretty innocent kiss, and they break apart after their five seconds are up.

“That was kinda weird,” Mikey whispers, and the two giggle until he lets go of Tyler’s neck, allowing the younger man to move back to his place in the circle.

Josh reaches for the bottle for his turn. It spins for a few seconds before finally stopping, pointed towards Ryan.

Brendon wolf whistles as they watch the pink-haired man hesitantly crawl over to Ryan. “Scared, Dun?” he taunts, grinning.

“I have anxiety, Brendon, I live in a constant state of fear,” Josh counters half-heartedly before leaning in for the kiss

This kiss is instantly more heated than the last, Ryan’s hands coming up to grab the front of Josh’s _X-Files_ shirt. They don’t break apart even after Tyler calls time, and when they finally do, both men look turned on.

Everyone is silent for a minute, the only sound being Josh and Ryan’s heavy breathing before Brendon clears his throat. “Um, I think it’s my turn.”

Josh startles slightly and moves into the circle as Bren twists the bottle. After a few seconds, it comes to a stop of Tyler.

“Look at you, getting all the attention,” Patrick laughs, nudging the tanned man. Brendon leans over Josh and pulls Ty into a messy kiss, obviously meant as a joke to diffuse the tension from last round.

Ty pushes Bren away after their five seconds are up, laughing. “Dude, that was gross. Your turn, Dallon.”

The tall man spins the bottle, and the others watch as it lands on Patrick. Pete, Ryan, and Brendon all instantly start chuckling.

“Why is this funny? Do those two have a thing?” Gerard whispers to his younger brother, evidently confused by most of what’s happened in this game.

“No, the opposite. Trick and Dal are both, like, as close to monogamous as you can get in this kinda relationship,” Mikey replies quietly, watching as Dallon leans down ungracefully to kiss Patrick.

It results in five awkward seconds, which Pete finds absolutely hilarious. “Well at least I know Patrick won’t be abandoning me,” he laughs as Ryan spins the bottle.

Pete continues chuckling as the bottle stops at him, this time along with (almost) everybody else. Ryan sighs slightly in relief and Pete is quickly silenced by lips against his.

Ryan’s soft lips are familiar to him, and they both relax into the kiss. Pete relishes in the way Ry’s breath hitches as he softly bites the younger man's lip and the way he still tastes slightly of weed even though it must’ve been hours since he’d last smoked.

It’s almost impossible to pull away after their five seconds are up - they make out for about eight, in fact, until Patrick and Brendon start pulling them apart - and then all eyes turn to Frank.

The tattooed man takes a deep breath and twists his wrist, making the bottle spin. Brendon starts making sound effects, a held ‘ooh’ that gets higher as the bottle slows. He’s starting to hit falsetto notes as it finally comes to a stop.

The bottle is pointing at Gerard.

The two men stare at the bottle and then each other for a few seconds. Pete’s not entirely sure Frank’s even breathing at this point, and he’s about to say something when Ryan starts chanting.

The others quickly join in, except for Frank, Gerard, and Mikey. “Kiss! Kiss!” the circle shouts, until Frank finally grabs a fistful of the older man’s hair, pulling him forwards.

Pete doesn’t have an excellent vantage point, but from what he can see the kiss is very heated, almost hungry, and lasts for far longer than five seconds. He’s almost impressed; Frank and Gerard had only met earlier that night, and yet here they are, a classic example of ‘love/lust at first sight.’

However, when Frank eventually pulls away to catch his breath, Gerard stands up abruptly and turns towards the basement stairs. “Game’s over,” he says, voice slightly hoarse, as he quickly retreats back downstairs.

Mikey rushes after him a moment later, mumbling something about making sure his brother was okay, and Pete turns to Frank. He looks like he’s in shock, mouth hanging open, staring at the stairs down to the basement.

Pete moves over to fill the gap left in the circle and rests a hand on Frank’s shoulder. “Don’t worry too much. I think anyone would freak out a bit in this situation,” he murmurs. Frank’s brow furrows in confusion. “He got up close and personal with his brother’s boyfriend,” he elaborates.

Frank sighs. “Yeah, I guess that would freak someone out. But you didn’t feel-” He cuts himself off, his breathing getting heavier slightly. “There was something there, Pete, I swear. What if… What if he’s freaking out because he didn’t like it?”

“Or what if he’s scared because he _did_ like it?” Pete counters. “He wants you, and that’s making him panic because he can’t have you, as far as he’s concerned. You’re Mikey’s, not his.”

Frank is silent as he thinks about what Pete just said. “I could be theirs,” he finally answers, so quietly that Pete has to strain to hear him over the racket caused by the other six men.

“Maybe you should tell him that,” Pete says wisely, before moving to chat with Patrick instead.

He keeps an eye on Frank, though. A few minutes later Mikey comes back upstairs, and after a quick conversation between the couple, Frank heads down to the basement.

Pete finally hears from the other man the next evening, instantly recognising the sound from a new message in the group chat.

[Frank added Gerard to the group chat]

[17:59] Frank - thanks pete x

\---

[Group Chat - why have love triangles when you could have threesomes]

[19:10] Josh - my mom just told me to bring my boyfriend round for thanksgiving oh gosh what do i tell her

[19:10] Brendon - u dont have to tell her anything, im bringing ry round mine like always

[19:11] Tyler - i’ll come to thanksgiving if you come to xmas with me jish

[19:12] Josh - thanks i’ll call her back

[19:24] Ryan - we can all get together sunday for unofficial thanksgiving at mine too since we’re going different places

[19:12] Ryan - whats every1 else doin thursday?

[19:13] Dallon - i’m going home as usual. sad none of you are coming with me :(

[19:13] Patrick - pete and i are going to mine

[19:13] Mikey - gee and i are bringing frank to meet our parents

[19:14] Frank - could be interesting

[19:14] Gerard - lots of ‘no guys mikey and i arent together i promise no mom its not incest we swear we just both really like frank’

[19:15] Ryan - good u all deserve to have families to see at holidays

[19:15] Pete - ???

[19:16] Brendon - i keep telling you i’ll beat him up ryan

[19:17] Ryan - please dont beat my dad up bren

[19:18] Brendon - why nottt

[19:18] Brendon - he hit you i’ll hit him simple as that

[19:19] Pete - oh

[19:19] Dallon - shut up brendon no one’s getting hit anymore

[19:20] Josh - we all love you ry

[19:23] Ryan - thanks

[19:23] Ryan - i love you guys too

\---

Pete hears the sound of something tapping against a glass from the other end of the table and turns away from his conversation with Josh to see Ryan standing on his chair.

“Alright losers, it’s Thanksgiving weekend, and we’re in my house, so I’m going to make a speech,” he proclaims.

Brendon pretends to gasp from his seat beside Ryan. “Really? I thought you were standing on your chair for fun!”

Ryan glares down at Brendon before continuing. “As I was saying before being rudely interrupted, it’s Thanksgiving, and I’d like to tell you what I’m thankful for this year.”

Ryan clears his throat and looks around the table. Somehow all ten of them had crammed into Ryan’s small kitchen to have a proper meal, and even though they don’t have much room to move, it’s nice to be able to see and talk to everyone.

“Three months ago, the only people here I knew were Brendon and Dallon. Brendon and I have been together eleven years, and they’ve been the best years of my life, although the bar wasn’t set that high,” Ryan jokes.

Brendon laughs and hugs Ryan’s legs awkwardly. Pete had no idea the two had been together that long, but he’s not surprised, with the way they act around each other.

“We’ve had our ups and downs, though, Brendon and I,” Ryan continues. “We argue a lot, and because of our contrasting personalities, sometimes I can’t give him everything he needs. Luckily for us, six years ago we found Dallon, who was willing to put up with Brendon when I couldn’t.”

Now it’s Dallon’s turn to laugh, and he ruffles Brendon’s hair. “You make it sound as if he’s a burden, Ry,” he comments. “You know you’d be lost without him.”

“Yeah, I would,” Ryan replies, smiling fondly at the pair before continuing. “That arrangement worked well, and we didn’t really plan on changing it, but three months ago I accidentally interrupted a date because I was high as a kite, which led to Pete and I getting together, and I guess you know how things went from there.”

Ryan looks around the table again, this time stopping on each person for a while. “Enough about me though, I want to talk about you guys for a bit, if that’s alright. This is a spontaneous speech, so I’m just gonna go around the table and say a few words about everyone.”

Pete chuckles slightly at that; Ryan is exactly the kind of guy that can make a good speech up on the spot.

Ry clears his throat and turns to Gerard, who was sat on his other side. “Gee, we’ve known each other for, like, a week, but you let us share your beer, and if you keep doing that I imagine we’ll get on just fine.”

Gerard smiles at that. “Well, last time I let you guys share my beer I got laid, so there’ll definitely be more of that!”

Frank rolls his eyes in response. “You can get laid any time now Gee, no beer required.”

“Frank, don’t ruin the moment,” Ryan interrupts getting back to his speech. “Iero, our short, tattooed weirdo, you always manage to make me laugh in the group chat when you actually respond and even though we haven’t known each other long either, I can tell you’ve got a kind heart.”

Both Way brothers lean in to kiss their boyfriend on each cheek, causing Frank to blush slightly. “No, you’re all so sweet, stop, it’s Mikey’s turn,” he complains half-heartedly, although Pete can tell he likes the attention.

Ryan takes this as his cue to move on. “Mikey, the same can be said for you. About having a kind heart, that is. It’s undeniable that you care about not only Pete and Frank, but your brother too, and I’m a sucker for brotherly love.”

“Incest is illegal, Ryan, don’t support it,” Brendon says, raising an eyebrow.

“Not that kind of love, Brendon, shut up,” Ryan responds instantly, before looking over at Tyler. “Ty, your sense of humour is actually amazing, and I swear you’re a Taco Bell god. You always brighten my day with funny comments and bad Mexican food, and I appreciate that, even if I never say it.”

“One day I’ll play you the song I wrote about Taco Bell,” Tyler laughs, leaning to rest his head on Josh’s shoulder.

Ryan grins and nods before moving on. “Josh, okay, we’ve had a weird week I think. Over the last month or so we’ve become good friends, and I don’t really know how, but you’re an awesome guy, I knew that as soon as I met you, and let’s be real, I would definitely make out with you again.”

Josh blushes at that, and Tyler raises his head enough that he can look at the pink-haired man. “Joshie has a crush,” he sings softly, before being interrupted by Ryan.

“Next up, Pete, my man. Thanks for getting high with me and not punching me that first time I kissed you. I love you, and I hope we get to spend a lot more time together in the future.”

Pete blows a kiss at his partner across the table in response. _I’m looking forward to that too,_ he thinks to himself as Ryan moves on.

“Patrick, honestly, I admire you for dating Pete for so long and still being a small innocent bean, because Pete is a terrible influence. You’re always quick to check up on me if I seem off in the chat, and you have no idea how much that means to me, and you’re just great to be around in general. Also, you’re the easiest to make fun of because you’re the shortest.”

“You never told me you message Ry a lot,” Pete whispers to Patrick as everyone else laughs.

The shorter man shrugs. “I figured out he had a bad childhood early on, so I like to make sure he’s alright.”

“Guys, be quiet, I’m almost done,” Ryan raises his voice slightly to get everyone’s attention again. “Dallon. Sir Lanksalot. Thank you, seriously, for everything. You’re our responsible adult, our giver of good advice, a true mom friend. I love you Dal, and I don’t tell you that enough. I’m glad you went along with mine and Bren's half-formed plan all those years ago.”

“And I’m glad you two asked me to be part of your lives all those years ago,” Dallon answers. “Someone has to keep you idiots from self-destructing.”

“Well, you aren’t wrong,” Ryan laughs, before looking down at the only person left. “Last but not least, Brendon. My ray of sunshine. I don’t know where I’d be without you, babe. Probably six feet under. Even though sometimes I claim otherwise, I love you so much, and I look forward to turning eleven years into twelve.”

Brendon actually stands on his chair at this to kiss Ryan, and the two look at each other lovingly for a few seconds, before a quick, silent conversation that leads to Brendon sitting back down and Ryan finishing his speech.

“So I guess the point is that this year, I’m thankful that I have the nine of you in my life. Some I’ve known years, some only a week, but you all mean a lot to me, and it’s really nice to be able to share this Thanksgiving with you, my family.”

Ryan finally climbs off his chair and goes to take some of the food out of the oven, with help from Brendon and Dallon, while the others clap and cheer in response to the speech. Everyone makes conversation as they dig into the fantastic meal, and it doesn’t take long for the topic to move to things brought up in the speech.

Mikey calls across the table to Pete. “Hey, man, you should tell Frank and Gerard the story of how you and Patrick got together!”

Pete grins. “Oh man, I forgot you two don’t know how that happened! Alright, this is a good one, pay attention,” he starts, everyone else stopping their conversations to hear Pete talk.“Like all good romances, it starts a club."

“Like all good romances, it starts a club."


End file.
